Internet FAQs

Q:

How do I connect multiple devices to the Internet?

A customer can connect multiple devices to the Internet using a router. A router is a device that has a connection to the Internet and one or more connections for your computer(s) to plug into. Some routers also have wireless capabilities. These can be used when running a cable to your computer is not practical, or if you have a laptop that you want to be able to use in other rooms. A router can be rented or purchased from BTES or your local electronic store. A guide on how to encrypt your router can be located here.

Q:

What can I do to keep my computer running like new?

BTES does not offer software for our customers, however, BTES does suggest the customer uses some form of antivirus and antispyware to protect the customer from any unwanted attack as well as some other tools for general maintenance. Please see our software link page for suggested software.

Q:

I reformatted my computer and I cannot get online. What should I do?

In many cases this is related to a missing driver for your network card. If the computer came with a driver disk the software needed should be located on the disk itself. If it did not the driver can usually be found on the PC manufacture’s website. For questions relating to reinstalling your drivers, please refer to your computer manufacturer or a computer support service.

Q:

My computer will not turn on. What should I do?

Verify you have power to the wall outlet

If your computer is connected to a power strip, make sure the power strip is turned on and the circuit breaker (if equipped) is not tripped.

Check to see if the AC cable is snuggly plugged into the back of the computer

Check to see if the monitor turns on when the computer does. If it does not press the power button on the monitor. If the computer is on, but there is no indication of change on the monitor please contact computer manufacture on process to have the computer repaired

Press the power button on the computer and verify fans and lights turn on

If the fans and lights do not turn on please contact the computer manufacturer to further troubleshoot with them.

Q:

What is the difference between viruses and Spyware?

Viruses are designed to cripple your machine. The virus is normally very noticeable. Spyware programs are designed to steal a person’s information ranging from credit card numbers to social security numbers. Spyware tends to be harder to spot. Some signs that you might have Spyware are unwanted pop-ups or suggestions to buy anti-virus and/or Spyware protection. In many cases your computer could start running slower.

Q:

I am connected to the internet, but pages are taking a very long time to open. What can I do?

If your internet service seems slow or web pages are slow to come up, try clearing your History and Temporary Internet Files. From an internet browser like Internet Explorer, simply click Tools-->Internet Options. On the General tab that opens click the Delete Files button, it will ask you to confirm you want to delete these files click Yes at this point and it will begin to clear all temporary content. (This may take some time) Next click Clear History, it will also ask you to confirm you want to clear your history, click Yes. After you have deleted these files try browsing again to see if your speed has increased. If you are still experiencing slow browsing, it is possible you may have Spyware running on your machine without your knowledge. Please see our software link page for suggested software.

Q:

I am having difficulty opening websites up. What are some steps I can take to verify it is not my computer?

If you cannot pull up a web page, try disabling your firewall or antivirus program to see if that is affecting it. In order to disable these services verify that they are running by looking for their icon in the lower right hand corner of your screen next to your clock. Right click on the icon with your right mouse button, and left click on Disable, Exit, or Shutdown. If you still cannot pull up a web page, try repairing your Internet connection in Control Panel.

For advanced users: Open up command prompt by typing cmd into the run box located in the Start Menu. Type “ping 8.8.8.8” into the box and hit enter. If this is successful you have Internet connection. If you are still having issues pulling up websites you might have issues with domain name resolution. This could be related to a virus.

Q:

My Mac will not get online. How do I fix this?

We have found an issue with Mac computers that seems to prevent them from getting online. They have problems obtaining an IP address from our server. This is not a guaranteed fix, but try this to see if it helps: